Affluenza - Can I Catch It?

Well, I learned something new this morning. As I sipped my initial cup of coffee, I caught a news story about a teenager who had fled to Mexico after violating his probation. At first, I wondered why it was such a big deal. The news anchor explained that the Texas teen had killed four people in a drunk driving incident a couple of years ago. The teen driver, Ethan Couch, had a blood-alcohol level three times the legal limit.

For some reason (we'll get to that soon) the judge in this case decided to slap the kid on the wrist. Instead of giving him jail time, he awarded him with ten years probation. Part of the kid's probation was to refrain from alcohol. Before long, this dumb-ass goes to a party with several other teenage friends. And what does every teenager have surgically attached to his or her body? That's right, a cell phone. Of course, someone captures the kid partying and the video winds up somewhere in cyber-space.

So, with the incriminating evidence looming, the kid fled to Mexico with his mother. The US Marshal Service eventually tracked the pair down and handed them over to Mexican immigration authorities. They are in the process of being deported back to the US where the teen might be looking at an extended sleepover with some new friends at the jailhouse.

Ok, now that I've given you a brief summary, let me tell what really caught my attention. You might be wondering how a kid with a blood-alcohol level three times the legal limit could get away with killing four people. Well, apparently there's something called "affluenza". Until this morning, I had never heard of the term. So, what is "affluenza", you ask? According to what I've read, this is a "condition" where a person doesn't have the ability to understand the consequences of his/her actions because of financial privilege. 

Um, okay.......

It seems just like yesterday that being "disenfranchised" was an excuse for bad behavior. Well, now you can also play the rich card. Of course, it helps to have a high-priced lawyer if you plan on coming down with a case of "affluenza". The only requirement is that you need to be rich. Common sense is highly discouraged...

So, if I've got this right, you can get out of a jam by claiming that you've lived a pampered life and therefore, can't be held to the same rules as the common folk? Sorry if I'm not down with the struggle, but I'm just not getting it. 30 grand a year to send your kid to the finest school in town, only to have him come out an idiot.

Affluenza......I definitely learn something new everyday.

kw

The Hand Surgery

A few weeks ago, I finally got around to having a cyst removed from my right hand. It was about the size of a pea and for the most part, it didn't really bother me. But every now and then, it would give me excruciating pain. For instance, if I shook hands with someone with a extra firm handshake and they squeezed my cyst, it would almost make me cry. But knowing it would put a serious ding in my masculinity, I would just grin and bear it.

Anyway, I went to a local surgery center for the procedure. I was told that it was a minor "operation" which would require only a local anesthesia. This sounded good to me because I don't like to be "put under". So, I checked in at the front desk and filled out various forms in the waiting area. I could overhear several people bitching about having to wait so long. This always annoys me. It's like they think they're more important than anyone else in the room. There was one woman, in pajama bottoms, who seemed especially irritated. I guess she was running late for the DVD sale at Walmart.

After about an hour after my scheduled appointment time, I was finally called back to the prep area. I passed several small cubicles which had the curtain closed. I was somewhat relieved to hear no screaming or moaning. I was escorted to the last cube where I was told to take a seat.

After a few minutes, a doctor's aide came in and had me sign a few more forms. She also took my blood pressure. She commented on my "big bicep". I haven't been to the gym in two or three years, so I think she was just bullshitting me. But it still made me feel good as I fought the urge to flex my upper arm muscle.

Eventually, the doctor comes in. Somewhat surprising, he asks me what I'm here for today. Wasn't he expecting me? So, I explain my predicament, and he says, "Ok, I'll be back in a few minutes and we'll get you numbed up."

I figure he's going to shoot some Novocaine into my hand using one of those small needles that the dentists use. However, a few minutes later, the doctor returns with something that looks more like a Super Soaker. It was a large syringe that was loaded up with a clear liquid. My instant reaction was, "Whoa! WTF is that?"

He smiled and said, "Trust me, this is the worst part."

As he prepared to stick me, he told me that it was going to hurt. I instinctively gritted my teeth. He slowly pushed the needle into my palm. It hurt like hell but I tried to conceal my pain. He continued to push on the plunger, emptying the contents of the needle into my defenseless hand. Although this only lasted for about 20 seconds, it felt like an entire afternoon.

About 15 minutes later, half of my right hand became numb. The doctor's aide came back in and asked me to sign another form. Kinda hard to do with a hand that has no feeling. But I did the best I could. The signature was barely legible. But then again, I don't have the best handwriting, even on a good day.

Eventually, I'm called back to the "operating room". This in itself is quite weird because it's the first time that I've ever walked into an O.R. On all previous occasions, I've been dressed in a hospital gown and wheeled in on a gurney. So, as I walk through the door, I'm greeted by two doctors and a nurse. I'm told to lay on the table and extend my right arm. Before I knew it, one of the doctors began to slap a yellow liquid all over my arm, from my hand up to my elbow. I was told that this was some type of disinfectant. I explained that I shower regularly but the guy didn't seem to care as he continued to "disinfect" me.

When I was sufficiently disinfected, my arm was positioned on a small extension of the cushioned table. The two doctors wasted no time and went right into action. I could feel them pulling on my hand but I felt no pain. The two doctors were whispering to each other which made me very nervous. Then, the main doctor said, "Ok, we're in. You want to take a look at it?"

Now, I've seen enough Quentin Tarantino movies to numb my general fear over bloody carnage. However, glancing at my filleted hand was something that didn't interest me. I told the doctor to just do his thing and I would take a look after he closed it up.

The whole "operation" took about five minutes. My hand was bandaged and wrapped up in an Ace bandage. I was told that I could expect to experience some pain after the numbness wore off so the doctor prescribed some pain killers. I wound up taking a couple pills the first night as a pre-caution but the pain was pretty much non-existent.

Of course, I still had to wear the bandage for a few days. This is always awkward when you go out in public. People will inevitably ask, "Wow, what happened to your hand?" Now, I could be honest and give them the real answer. But who wants to hear about a boring cyst? So, I had fun making up more "exciting" stories. For instance, I told a Walgreen's cashier that I got into a scuffle with a couple of much larger guys. I explained that I saw these two thugs trying to steal a young girl's puppy. I approached them and told them to leave the girl alone. Then, the one guy turned toward me and pulled out a switchblade knife. I yelled to the girl to take her puppy and go! As the girl ran to safety, I broke into a Bruce Lee-style roundhouse and kicked the knife out of the guy's hand. I wish someone would have caught it on video because it was that impressive! Anyway, as the second guy approached me, I rattled off a series of popcorn jabs, followed by bone-crushing hay maker to his skull. Not realizing the power of my "big bicep", I wound up breaking my hand on that final blow to the guy's head. But as long as the little girl and her puppy were safe, that's all that really mattered......Amazingly, the young cashier appeared to believe me.

Hey. when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Or at least make up a good story.....:-)

kw

They Called Me Dumbo

Although childhood can be a time of fun and discovery, it can sometimes be quite trying. In my case, I grew up as a chubby (aka husky) kid. While I caught my share of "fatboy" comments, they didn't really bother me too much. I figured as soon as my love of Tasty-Klairs passed, I would be able to lose weight and be more like the rest of the neighborhood kids.

Anyway, the real issue that I had to deal with as a kid was my ears. By the time I was six years old, I had the biggest ears in the neighborhood. To make matters worse, they protruded from my head like a couple of luggage handles. I tried to pretend that I was just imagining things and that my ears were the same as everyone else. Well, the illusion was shattered as soon as the Dumbo remarks started. Kids that I didn't even know would point out my "elephant ears". And I can remember several wannabe comedians telling me to "fly away". I always tried to laugh it off. Sometimes I would try defend myself by saying something stupid like, "My ears might be big but at least I can hear better than you!" This would only make the kids laugh harder.

I can remember mentioning all of this it to my mom. Of course, she thought I was being silly. When I brought up the possibly of plastic surgery, she thought I was absolutely crazy. I would try to justify it by offering to donate a portion of my ears to needy kids in Africa. I soon realized that my efforts were futile and that I was going to be stuck with these things for life.

There was a guy on the Baltimore Colts named Roger Carr. He was a wide receiver who could catch anything. Along with his ability to catch a football, he also had a set of ears that stuck out like a couple of radar dishes. I would sometimes point this out to my friends in an attempt to illustrate that even sports heroes could have big ears.

When I reached my teenage years, I let my hair grow long in an effort to hide my ears. Although it worked, the side effect was the never-ending arguments with my dad. He would constantly badger me about getting a haircut and tell me that I looked like a girl. I tried to plead my case by telling him that I was taking a verbal beating from the neighborhood kids. He would point out that he also had large ears and he didn't care what people thought. Although I could certainly sympathize with him, it didn't help my situation. I really didn't care if I looked like a girl or a sheepdog, it was better than looking like Dumbo. 

But then, something miraculous happened.......

As the rest of my body continued to grow, my ears didn't. By the time I was eighteen, the rest of my head had pretty much caught up to my ears. It took me a few more years to gain enough self-confidence to get a real haircut. The first time I went out in public with my ears fully exposed was a scary experience. I walked into a crowded shopping mall feeling like I was naked. I tried to catch the reaction of the passing shoppers. I was waiting them to do a double take when I walked by. But no one seemed to notice me. This was very liberating and I felt as if I had been reborn.

Through the years, I've learned to laugh about my ailments or inadequacies. But I have to admit, I'm sure glad that my ears aren't one of them anymore.....

kw

City on Fire - The Mistrial

Well, in day number three of jury deliberations in the trial of Officer William Porter, the "decision" finally came in the form of a mistrial. As nightfall approaches, the news of the hung jury is still making it's way around the city. And the crowds are starting to grow.....

Earlier today, the jurors asked the judge for the witness transcripts to help them come to a decision. However, the judge denied their request because the transcripts were never entered into evidence. I don't quite understand this....

So, now that a mistrial has been declared, what's next? This will result in one of two things. Number one, a new trial will be scheduled at a later date with a new jury. Or number two, the prosecution could decide to not pursue the case any further, thus dropping the charges against Porter. (Don't hold your breath for number two.)

So, before anyone heads out to loot a 7-11, please understand that this does not mean that Officer Porter is off the hook. In all likelihood, a new trial will be scheduled sometime next year. Not an ideal outcome for the anti-cop protesters, but this is how the judicial system works. That's what you asked for back in April, right?

Another thing to consider is that Officer Porter was supposed to be a material witness in the upcoming trial of Officer Caesar Goodson, the van driver. What effect will Porter's mistrial have on Goodson's upcoming trial next month? It would be kind of crazy for Porter to take the stand and risk self-incrimination. Keep in mind that Officer Goodson is facing the most serious charge (depraved heart murder) in the death of Freddie Gray. If Porter decides to not testify, it will probably benefit Goodson.

With the looming potential for "unrest" tonight, community leaders and members of the clergy have urged for calm in the aftermath of the decision. "Giving peace a chance" sure sounds good. But in reality, Baltimore is still smoldering on the embers left behind by last April's riots. Fortunately, someone had the good sense to put extra reinforcements in place. Yesterday, there was a gathering of police officers from surrounding counties at Druid Hill Park. The park is near Mondawmin Mall, which is where city cops were forced to take a barrage of bricks and other projectiles from a bunch of "disenfranchised youth" back in April. Don't expect the cops to put up with that kind of bullshit this time.

Amazingly, there were some rumblings about having too many cops out there. I heard a few people say that it made them feel "unsafe" and like "something was about to happen". I have a hard time comprehending this delusional mindset. Let me break it down in a language that they can hopefully understand.....There is a good chance that something will happen and you will be unsafe. But it's not the police officers that you'll need to be worried about. Instead, it will be the lawless thugs that you continue to protect. So, the next time time that you're in a bad spot and need help, why don't you try to calling a thug and letting us all know how that works out for you? If you think that the cops are the biggest threat to public safety in Baltimore City, you're a freggin' idiot.

With that being said, let's hope that, somehow, order can be maintained throughout the next few days in and around Baltimore. It's fairly calm right now but it only takes a few knuckleheads to jump start things. The mayor has said that "we are prepared to respond". I just hope that the response doesn't include any "room to destroy" this time......

To be continued........


kw

Stripping Byrd From The Stadium

On today's episode of "That's Offensive!", we go to the University of Maryland in College Park, MD. The subject of today's discussion is the the university's football venue. Until today, it has been know as Byrd Stadium. However it's now slated to be renamed because it's namesake is "racist".

I have to admit, although I've been to Byrd Stadium a few times, I never really know anything about Mr. Byrd. After a quick Google search, I learned that Harry "Curley" Byrd was the former university president (1936-1954). Earlier in his career, Byrd also served as Maryland's football and baseball coach as well as it's athletic director. Byrd was considered the father of the University of MD during his 43-year career there.

After his time at the university, Byrd entered politics and ran for Governor of Maryland in 1954. Although he won the Democratic primary, he was eventually defeated by Republican Theodore McKeldin in the general election.

So far, it sounds like Byrd was a pretty active guy and an integral part of the University of Maryland. It seems fitting that the campus stadium might be named after him. So, what's the big deal?

Well, it turns out that Byrd was a segregationist. A-ha! He believed that blacks and whites should be "separate but equal" (Did I mention that Harry Byrd was a Democrat?). So, fifty-some years later, someone got a wild hair up their ass and decided that the name "Byrd" is offensive and it must be taken off the football stadium.

By the way, why isn't there a call to remove "Byrd" from things in West Virginia. After all, Robert Byrd was a former leader of the Ku Klux Klan. But half the state is still named after him. (Oh yeah, Robert Byrd was a Democrat too. Are you starting to see a pattern here?)

And along the same lines, Malcolm X was a bit of a segregationist too. But I don't see anyone protesting to have his name removed from boulevards in New York or DC..

Anyway, student protesters at Maryland put pressure on the university's president to remove Byrd's name from the stadium. UM president Wallace Loh then recommended that the board of regents strip the name and move it to a more "appropriate" place like the school library. The board met today and decided to go the politically correct route (surprise, surprise) and  transfer Byrd from the stadium to a small exhibit in the school library.

Will history continue to be raked over with a fine tooth comb in search of new offensive things? Were Harry Byrd's views on segregation extreme? By today's standards, absolutely. But are we to overlook someone's lifetime accomplishments because of what modern society thinks of their views from 60 years ago? Whether it's right or wrong, we can't simply erase history by banning flags or renaming football stadiums.

The next thing will be to remove Washington and Jefferson from US currency. That's right, you heard it here first.....

kw

Trump Kicks the Hornet's Nest (Again)

Donald Trump is no stranger to controversial statements. He's never been afraid to speak his mind and this has been especially true during his 2016 presidential campaign. To be expected, Democrats have used Trump's comments to paint him as a bigot, racist, sexist, etc. But the most recent statement by the GOP's leading candidate even has fellow Republicans ducking to take cover.

Yesterday, Trump called for a ban on all Muslims entering the United States until our representatives can figure out what's going on. The comments were fueled by the recent terrorist attack in San Bernadino along with the pressure to bring Syrian refugees into the US. Regardless of his rationale, Trump has really stirred up a shit storm with this one.

While many Republicans have voiced support for an expanded vetting process for any immigrants, many of them now are distancing themselves from Trump's latest idea. House Speaker Paul Ryan pointed out that "freedom of religion is a fundamental constitutional principal". He also said that "this is not what this party stands for and more importantly, it's not what this country stands for". Jeb Bush described Trump as "unhinged". And even former VP Dick Cheney chimed in by saying that it "goes against everything we stand for and believe in."

During yesterday's White House press briefing, press secretary Josh Earnest said that Trump's latest comments "disqualify" him from serving as President. (I find this kind of funny since many Republicans have said that same thing about Obama)

One of the more surprising criticisms of Trump came from French prime minister, Manuel Valls, who tweeted, "Mr. Trump, like others, stokes hatred. Our only enemy is radical Islam." Keep in mind, 130 people were recently killed in Paris during a terrorist attack by radical Muslims.

And in a bit of twisted irony, over 100,000 people in the United Kingdom have a signed a petition to keep Trump out of their country. The British parliament will now have to consider it for debate. Can you imagine an American presidential candidate being barred from Britain?

In any event, Republican hopefuls are now being pressured to turn their back on Trump if he should ultimately become the nominee. While it makes political sense to distance themselves right now, it would present an interesting scenario down the road....a Republican nominee that none of the other Republican leaders support. Don't hold your breath on that one.

So, here's the big question....Is Trump's latest remark going to derail his presidential campaign? It really doesn't appear so. Trump still has a double-digit lead over second-place Ted Cruz in the most recent polls. And more specific to the topic at hand, a current Bloomberg poll shows that roughly two-thirds of Republican voters support Trump's proposal.

So, while the Republican candidates search for ways to strategically distance themselves from Trump, they've got to be very careful. Trump has made rumblings about running as a third party candidate if he is somehow forced out of the Republican race. If this were to happen, it would all but guarantee Hillary the presidency. So, essentially, Trump has morphed himself into a double-edged sword. Maybe, he's not such a political novice after all.....


kw

The San Bernardino Shooting

So, this past week we had yet another senseless mass killing. This time, the nonsense returned to the U.S. where 14 people were massacred at a center that works with the developmentally disabled in San Bernardino, CA. In addition to the fatalities, there were also more than 20 people who were wounded at the Christmas party which was being held at the center.

Upon the initial news break on Wednesday afternoon, there was immediate speculation on who might be behind the attack. Since no one really had a good description of the suspects yet, the "crazy white guy" was the only politically-correct speculation. Keeping things offensive-friendly, talk of terrorism was gingerly eluded.

Things progressed to the point where the shooters were caught and ultimately given a dose of their own medicine in the the form of a barrage of gunfire from police. It turned out that the two shooters were husband and wife. The husband happened to work at the center where the shooting took place. This prompted the predictable label of "work place violence" by another gun nut. President Obama even used his first press conference to push his gun control agenda. Why would he ever let a tragedy go to waste?

But as more information came in, we learned that the couple was Muslim. Hmm....an Islamic husband and wife shooting up a Christmas party. What could possibly be suspicious here? But the main media outlets still tap danced around the facts. Until, it was discovered that the wife had ties to ISIS. She had recently pledged her allegiance to the leader of ISIS in a Facebook post. Well, slap my ass and call me Spanky!

President Obama has somewhat acknowledged that terrorism could now be involved. But he points out that the shooters could have had "mixed motives" (Islamic radicalism and workplace grievances). Do you ever feel like he's pissing on your leg and telling you it's raining?

There is now a push by some lawmakers to pass even stricter gun control laws. How much stricter can they get in California? And at what point will these fools comprehend that gun laws will NOT prevent this type of nonsense. In fact, if there were MORE guns, maybe LESS of this bullshit would happen. Why do you think that these things continue to happen in gun-free zones? If just one good guy had a gun in these situations, perhaps he could stop the bad guy before he kills half the crowd. At least he'd have a fighting chance! But maybe I'm just delusional....

Another thing that's quite concerning is that the female shooter passed criminal and national security background checks in route to getting her "fiance visa" and green card. And we still want to let countless Syrian refugees into our country?

I also caught some social media posts that pointed out how Americans were very supportive of France a few weeks ago. But many of those same people don't seem to have a lot to say about things that happen on US soil. There's certainly some validity in that observation, but I'm not sure what to make of it. Me personally? I'm sympathetic to anyone who's an innocent victim of terrorism.

The big question is...How do prevent this type of thing from happening? I'm not sure anyone has the answer. But I'm pretty sure that political correctness and cavalier immigration policies certainly aren't going to help keep us safe....


kw

Which Lives Matter?

The protesters were out in full force in Chicago last week. Voicing outrage over the killing of a young black man by a white police officer, the protesters impeded Black Friday shopping in one of the Windy City's most popular retail spots. From the videos that I watched, it seemed that the protesters were given plenty of space to deliver their message. But is a shopping mall the appropriate place to do this? If they're goal is to piss people off and make themselves look like assholes, I guess I'd have to say, "Mission accomplished."

Fueled by the Black Lives Matter movement, these scenes are becoming a recurring episode. However, I'm still finding it hard to comprehend the consistency of their argument. While the usual suspects pop out of the woodwork anytime there's a black man shot by the police, they remain virtually silent on the black-on-black killings that occur daily in places like Baltimore and Chicago.

So far this weekend, seven blacks have been killed in Chicago. Police were involved in none of them. So, no outrage. And recently, a 9-year-old boy was lured off of a Chicago playground and fatally shot in a gang-related retaliation. The victim was the son of a rival gang member. His life was snuffed out before it really had a chance to begin. So, who's marching for him? Did his life matter?

One of the "gotcha" questions during this political campaign season has been, "Do black lives matter? Or do all lives matter?"

Ironically, whoever gives the "all inclusive" answer is automatically lambasted for being a "racist". Why even ask the question if there's only one acceptable response? The logic here is mind numbing. Martin Luther King is probably rolling in his grave and screaming, "WTF are these fools talking about?"

Since the BLM crowd is fond of asking racially-charged questions, I would like to ask them, "Do black lives matter? Or do all black lives matter?"

kw

The Mayor Goes To Paris

I just saw where Baltimore mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake is preparing for a trip to Paris. I thought this was kind of strange, What kind of advice could she possibly give the French people on terrorism? Her city has become a hotbed for urban terrorists ever since she gave the order to stand down last April. And it's likely to get worse with upcoming trials of the six police officers. Maybe the mayor will advise the French people to write out a million dollar checks to the terrorists.

Wait a minute....what was that? She's going to Paris for a climate change conference? Are you f*cking kidding me??

So, let me see if I've got this right. People are getting killed in Baltimore so rapidly that the funeral parlors are practically running out of embalming fluid. A group of Islamic terrorists killed more than 100 people in Paris just over a week ago. We're in the middle of a Syrian refugee crisis. There are countless travel warnings due to recent ISIS threats. Russia and Turkey are on the verge of kick starting World War III. And the mayor is going to France for a conference on climate change??

Do you think that maybe this might be a bad time?

Besides the questionable timing, the mayor is a lame duck at this stage of her illustrious career. Before long, she will be handing her position over the Grinch Who Stole The Gift Cards. Aside from possibly getting her hair and nails done, what can Rawlings-Blake possibly hope to accomplish in Paris?

And here's the most ironic thing about all of this. The mayor is going to leave Baltimore on a gas-guzzling jet to fly to another continent to discuss what we can do to save the planet. Hey just a thought....if you're trying to reduce our carbon footprints, maybe a video conference is a better choice than a ride on a 747. But since the tree-huggers like to blow smoke up my ass, I think I'll return the favor and fire up my Corvette. With any luck, I'll blow past a Prius or two....

By the way, where's Al Gore been? Maybe he can dim the lights in his mansion and fly over to join the gathering of meat-heads. But then again, he's probably too busy counting the money with his polar bears.

Some people might not know it but Baltimore's Mayor also happens to be the President of the US Conference of Mayors. I'm not really sure what the purpose of the conference of mayors is, but it seems to have some pretty good perks. If there's a conference of bloggers, I'd like to join. Perhaps I can score a trip to Octoberfest next year. And you can bet your ass that I won't be talking about climate change....

kw

The Refugee Debate

There's been a whole lot of talk on the issue of Syrian refugees lately. While President Obama has assured us that the refugees are safe and pose no threat to security, many state governors aren't buying it.  Over half of the nation's governors have recently announced that they will not accept any of these "new residents" into their states until they are fully vetted. But is being "vetted" really enough?

In a recent New York Post article*, a Syrian community leader from NYC pointed out that documents are very easily obtained in Syria. And although they are not technically "forged", they can be far from legitimate. Syrian government officials can often be bribed to give false papers to an individual. And once they have their "official" credentials, they head to a country near you and claim refugee status.

The community leader also said that ISIS terrorists. posing as civil war refugees, have already entered the United States. These "refugees" have since joined terrorist sleeper cells who are waiting to be activated. Wow, that makes you feel good, huh?

Aside from the "legitimate" refugees, we also have to worry about the ones who simply waltz across our southern border. This Department of Homeland Security has confirmed that eight illegal Syrians attempted to cross into Texas from Mexico on Monday**.

According to a recent poll, the majority of Americans do not want to admit Syrian refugees at this time. Friday's terrorist attack in Paris has certainly awakened many people to the potential dangers of taking in hoards of immigrants from Muslim countries. This has promoted many from the left to call the skeptics uncaring, Islamaphobic and, in some cases, unAmerican. I think this is a bit unfair. While most Americans can certainly sympathize with the people affected by what's going on in Syria, should we really risk national security by opening our arms and turning a blind eye? To those who think we should, I'd like to ask, "At what point does America come first?"

The current annual cap on worldwide refugees into the US is 70,000. The Obama administration is planning on increasing that number to 100,000 by 2017. Since 2012, there have been been roughly 2000 refugees from Syria who are scattered all over the country. The Obama administration is seeking to offer residency to 10,000 new Syrian refugees. Expect this to be a hot topic in upcoming weeks.

Today, the House of Representatives passed a bill that will require additional background checks for Syrian refugees. The bill was supported overwhelmingly by Republicans but there were also 47 Democrats who voted in favor of it. While the White House is calling these measures unpractical and unnecessary, a majority of Republicans have called this a common sense approach to address security concerns. In response, President Obama has said that the Republicans are "scared of three-year-old orphans" and has vowed to veto the bill. Since the bill passed by a vote of 289-147, it should override a Presidential veto. But will the 47 Democrats defy the President if they are asked to sustain his veto? Hmm....

Some leaders, such as Senator Ted Cruz, have suggested that we use a "religious test" to screen out Muslim refugees from countries that where terrorists have a strong presence and where applicants can not be properly vetted. President Obama, to no one's surprise, has called this "shameful" and "not American".  For most of his campaign, Republicans have often described the President in same the manner.

Stay tuned, this one's not going away any time soon......

kw

* http://nypost.com/2015/11/19/syrian-community-leader-isis-is-already-in-new-york-city/

** http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/11/18/report-8-syrians-caught-at-texas-border-in-laredo/

Terror In Paris

Paris is still sifting through the carnage after Friday night's barbaric murders carried out by Muslim extremists. The death count continues to climb as the French people struggle to understand what just happened.

From what we've been told, the attack was carried out by eight members of ISIS. These eight savages were armed with automatic weapons and suicide vests. Most of the murders took place in a concert hall where unsuspecting music fans were gunned down like fish in a barrel.

When the initial reports came out, there was "speculation" on who was behind the attacks. Really? Why are we still tip-toeing around this? Almost all of the terrorists attacks that have occurred around the world since 9/11 have been committed by groups of Islamic f*cknuts.

The Paris attacks were mainly directed at "soft targets" in a soccer stadium and a concert hall. Knowing that no one would be armed in these venues gave the Islamic murderers free reign to inflict as much damage as possible.

Looking through the social media comments, most people are sympathetic to the French people. However, there are some who feel like France has thumbed their noses up to the United States in the past and therefore should soak in their own sympathy. The way I see it is that the people who were gunned down were guilty of nothing more than going out to a concert (or soccer game) on Friday. They certainly didn't deserve to die.

What you have to remember is that these Islamic douchebags hate Americans just as much, if not more than the French. So, if you don't think that this type of thing can happen in the US, you are sadly mistaken. Our porous borders continue to provide an open door for potential terrorists. And as we just saw in France, it doesn't take very many if them to inflict a large amount of damage. How many of them are already in our country?

There has been a huge influx of immigrants from Muslim countries into Europe over the past few months. At least one of the terrorists from Friday night has already been confirmed as a refugee from Syria. In America, our President has put a plan in motion to accept 10,000 Syrian refugees. Some of Obama's fellow Democrats have called to increase that number. With Islamic terrorism in full swing, the only thing that comes to a logical mind is, "WTF..." At what point does America come first?

France's National Front Party leader, Marine De Pen, responded to the Paris attack by saying, "Islamic fundamentalism must be annihilated. France must ban Islamic organizations, close radical mosques and expel foreigners who preach hatred in our country as well as illegal migrants who have nothing to do here."

Sounds like a sensible approach to me. I wish one of our leaders had the balls to say something like this.

It's pretty sad that in the year 2015 you can't go to a concert or soccer game without worrying about some asshole with a 3rd century mindset blowing the place up.

My heart goes out to the people of Paris during this trying time.

kw

The GOP Debate - Milwaukee Edition

I'm a few days late on this one but here's my take on the most recent Republican debate in Milwaukee. Tuesday night's edition, presented by Fox Business News, centered on the economy. And unlike the previous circus moderated by CNBC, this deliberation pretty much stayed on point.

(By the way, would it be considered sexist to say that moderator Maria "The Money Honey" Bartiromo looked great? If so, who cares? She still looked great!)

All of the candidates were guilty of talking past their allotted time at some point. But at the ringing of the "times-up" bell, most of them wrapped up their statements within a reasonable amount of time. However, there was a lot of butting in and talking over each other. But because the subject matter was kept intact, the moderators let it play on.

Ohio Governor, John Kasich seemed to be making a last ditch effort to remain relevant as he routinely threw up his hands and spoke out of turn. Donald Trump, to no one's surprise, took a jab at Kasich by saying that it's good thing that oil (actually natural gas) was discovered in Ohio. In the end, I don't think that Kasich did himself any favors because instead of looking assertive, he appeared to be on the verge of coming unglued.

Jeb Bush continued to look like a fish out of water. He halfheartedly smiles into the camera while totally missing the connection with the audience. To me, Bush been the biggest disappointment of the whole campaign. It's kind of the way the Ravens were picked to got to the Super Bowl this year and fizzled out well before the playoff run started.

Carly Fiorina had a good night but at times she appeared to be lecturing like a high school history teacher. Her aggressiveness prompted none other than Donald Trump to ask, "Why does she keep interrupting everyone?"

I think Ted Cruz picked up a few points. He stayed focused and seemed to have a grasp of the issues. He's moving in the right direction at the right time.

Ben Carson didn't really do himself any harm but he still comes off as being too nice (By the way, doesn't say a lot about our world when being nice is a negative thing?). One of Carson's biggest assets during this campaign has been his integrity. But that is now being called into question with accusations of lying. Of course, "the lie" in this most recent case involves Carson stating that he was offered a full scholarship to West Point when he was a member of the ROTC as a teenager. Does this really have any effect on Carson's ability to become President. Of course, not. But nonetheless, welcome to the dirty world of politics, Dr. Carson.

Over the past few days, Donald Trump has ramped up the personal attacks on Carson. Trump, obviously concerned about the neurosurgeon's ascending poll numbers, has raised questions about Carson's integrity. I predict that this will backfire on Trump as people will view it as a bully antagonizing the nice guy. Trump's bluntness was admirable and quite humorous at times, but it's starting to get old. He is dangerously close to insulting himself right out of the race.

If I had to pick the winner of this debate, I'd have to go with Marco Rubio. He came off looking poised, confident and articulate. Even during a heated exchange with Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, Rubio remained calm and while going toe to toe with the Kentucky Senator. Rubio continues to get stronger as this campaign plays out. When the dust settles, I'm thinking that he will get the nomination. Ironically, I have heard that Rubio's youth might be a factor. This didn't seem to be an issue for Barrack Obama, who was just a couple years older, in his first run at the White House.

Almost all of the Republicans at some time, pointed out that he/she would be the best candidate to beat Hillary Clinton in the general election. I think that some of the GOP candidates would give Hillary a run for her PAC's money, but not everyone agrees. When I spoke to some of my liberal friends about this, they seemed to think that Hillary will "eat up and spit out" any of the Republicans in a debate. I highly doubt it. But I guess time will tell...

kw

Halloween - The Dwindling Trick-or-Treaters

Yesterday afternoon, Tina and I made a last minute run to K-mart to pick up some Halloween candy for our anticipated hoards of sugar craving trick-or-treaters. Figuring it was Saturday and the kids would start early and stay out late, we loaded up the shopping cart with an insane amount of miniature chocolate bars. Maybe it was a bit overkill, but we wanted to adequately prepared. Can you imagine having to tell a little Minion or Power Ranger that you are all out of candy?

So, we get home and Tina transfers the candy bars to a large bowl. This gives the kids an opportunity to pick between a Baby Ruth, Butterfinger, Milky Way, Reese's Cup or the highly coveted Clark bar. While most kids enjoy the freedom to choose, there's always that one kid who will go in with both hands and extract half the bowl. It's a bit uncomfortable when I have to say, "Whoa, hoss! Put it back and just take one or two."

Anyway, as nighttime approached, I turned on the driveway lights and opened the front door. I figured the litle ghosts and goblins would start knocking on my door by 5 o'clock. Well, 5 turned into 5:30 and still no kids. I eyed the large bowl or candy and fought the urge to take one. Another hour passed and there was still no trick-or-treaters. I was having a hard time comprehending this. Did they ban Halloween this year?

Around 6:30, my sister-in-law (who lives around the corner) invited us over to her house. She and my brother-in-law were set up in their driveway as they gave out candy to the passing kids. So, Tina and I gathered up our stash and headed out.

We were relieved to see that there were at least some treat-or-treaters walking around the neighborhood. However, they were few and far between. By 9 o'clock, I would estimate that we were greeted by a grand total of 15 kids. Looking at the large bowl of undistributed candy, I saw a 10-pound weight gain in my near future.

I don't quite understand the lack of participation in community trick-or-treating anymore. When I was a kid, I used to eagerly await sundown on Halloween. I would meet up with my friends from the neighborhood to plan our route for the evening. Covering a large area, we would go door to door, ending or excursion only when our arms got tired of lugging our heavy bag of treats. I still have great memories of those times.

From what I've seen recently, it seems like most of the trick-or-treaters consist of younger kids who are accompanied by their parents. In fact, the only unchaperoned kids I saw last night was a lone group of teen-aged girls.

So, as I sit here on the day after Halloween, I try to forget about the left-over candy bars that will inevitably find their way into my mouth. In the upcoming weeks, my bathroom scale will be as ominous as Michael Myers. Maybe next year, I should give out fruit.......

kw

The Dirt Bike Park

I first wrote about Baltimore City's illegal dirt bike "epidemic" back in August.* Not too much has changed since then. The defiant bikers continue to ride where they please while the police "combat" the situation by setting up traffic cones along Reisterstown Road.

But something did catch my attention on the evening news yesterday. It centered around the proposed dirt bike park. The park is still in the initial stages of development but it will likely become a reality at some point. The biggest obstacle right now is finding the funds to build it. It's estimated that the price tag will be in the millions. With the cost of last April's riots and the subsequent $6 million payout to Freddie Gray's family, the city probably doesn't have a whole lot of spare change.

While on the surface, a city park sounds like a decent idea. But in reality, it's just another political delusion. A few of Baltimore's so-called leaders will eventually take credit for the new park after it's built. And then, when they run for re-election (or higher office), they can claim that they made a positive difference for the disenfranchised youth of Baltimore. Of course, there's no way to measure a non-statistic, so their claims will go unchallenged.

And here's something that I found to be quite amusing. The new park will feature an asphalt strip and a graffiti wall. I guess the bikers can pretend that they're on Reisterstown Road while they're doing wheelies down the strip? It just won't be the same without cars and "will work for food" guys in the way. Maybe that's the whole idea behind the graffiti wall as it will add just the right amount of ghetto to the park. You gotta admire the creativity of the planning committee!

But here's the real kicker. At least one city councilman is looking at ways to pay the riders for coming to the park. I'm not sure exactly how this will work but I understand that the paychecks will come in the form of a sponsorship. Maybe Chico's Bail Bond's can pay riders to wear their t-shirts? But nonetheless, the city is actually looking to pay people for not breaking the law. And I thought that getting arrested was the easiest way for a disenfranchised youth to get a payout from the city.

This is just another example of how we now tap dance around the problem and make excuses for those who misbehave. Instead of ticketing (or arresting) people for illegally riding their stolen dirtbikes, Baltimore is going to try to bribe them to come to the new bike park. Now, I do think that there will be kids who will use the park. But these will likely be the younger kids who actually have decent parents. Meanwhile, the thug element will continue to ride on the streets because they know they can. The cops have been neutered by Baltimore's "leadership" and are virtually powerless to stop them. So, keeping consistent with this logic, it only makes sense to spend millions on a park that will do nothing to fix the problem.

kw

* http://kensmouthpiece.blogspot.com/2015/08/dirt-bikes-and-city.html

CNBC vs. The GOP

I finally got around to watching last night's debate (if you want to call it that) and found it to be quite interesting. In a normal Presidential debate format, the issues are brought up and the candidates try to explain why they would be the best person to handle them. But CNBC took it in a whole other direction last night. Instead of focusing on the economy and job creation, the moderators (Carl Quantanilla, Becky Quick and John Harwood) decided to launch into a personal attack agenda against the Republican candidates.

The agenda was quickly acknowledged by the candidates. Senator Ted Cruz was the first to call out the moderators for their below-the-belt tactics. But the other candidates quickly joined in and exposed CNBC for what it is, a left-wing Super PAC. The only candidate who fell into the trap was Jeb Bush, who took the bait and attempted to call out Marco Rubio for being absent during the majority of his Senate votes. But the young Senator quickly turned the tide on Bush and made him look like an idiot.

Jeb Bush also took the bait on another question regarding online betting and fantasy football. Instead of pushing back at the moderators for asking such a stupid question, Bush used the opportunity to brag about being 7-0 in his fantasy league. Chris Christie eventually intervened and basically said, "Seriously? With all of the problems facing America right now, we're talking about fantasy football?"

Dr. Ben Carson, who has been climbing to the top spot in recent polls, was blatantly targeted by the CNBC moderators. One of the moderators tried to paint Dr. Ben Carson as a homophobe. Carson described this as another myth propagated by the left. He acknowledged that he believes marriage should be between a man and woman but he has no personal issue with gay people. At another point, Carson's judgement was called into question by the moderator. This immediately brought a chorus of loud boos from the live audience. Carson just smiled and said, "See, they know."

The CNBC agenda became so obvious that the audience began to voice their disapproval more and more as each ridiculous question was asked. Mike Huckabee, who happens to be a preacher, was asked if Donald Trump had "the moral authority" to be President. Huckabee, recognizing the loaded question, simply said that Trump is a good man and would be a better President than Hillary. Touche! And Trump made it known what he thought when he replied, "What a nasty question." (Earlier in the debate, Trump was asked if he was a comic book version of a Presidential candidate.)

In the end, CNBC came out of this looking really bad. The long-time Republican claim of a biased media was on full display for an estimated 14 million viewers. Instead of having the candidates turn on each other, the candidates united and turned on the moderators. In a nut shell, CNBC's tactic blew up in their face.

There were brief moments when legitimate issues were discussed. But too much time was wasted on nonsense. By the end of the two hours, the debate began to resemble a Saturday Night Live skit.

If I had to pick a winner of last night's debate, I would have to go with Marco Rubio. He stayed on point, not getting distracted by the ongoing sideshow. He actually looked quite Presidential. He may not get the nomination this year, but I can definitely see this guy in the White House one day.

Donald Trump was his normal self. I thought he handled things pretty well. I liked his closing statement where he pointed out that he negotiated the debate down to the two hours after it had originally been scheduled for three to four hours. When John Harwood said that the debate had always been scheduled for two hours, Trump basically called him a liar.

Not surprising, Ben Carson came across looking like the nice guy. He articulated his answers in his usual calm tone. In his closing statement, he thanked the candidates for not taking the bait by the moderators. Carson definitely didn't hurt himself last night. He could very well wind up getting the nomination.

Chris Christie had a few good "let's stop the bullshit" moments. Overall, I'd say he did a pretty good job. However, I do not like the way he searches for the camera every time he delivers a statement. I know he's attempting to "talk directly to America" but comes off as a little too Martin Owe'Malley-ish.

I though Carly Fiorina had a pretty good night. She was grilled for being fired by Hewlett Packard but she still managed to hold her own. I particularly liked the way she pointed out that every time the government gets engaged in something, it gets worse.

Senator Ted Cruz won some big points for lambasting the moderators for their stupid questions and personal attacks. I expect to see him move up a spot or two.

The one candidate that may have hurt his chances was Jeb Bush. He looked a little rattled. He seems to be reaching a point of desperation. His pissing contest with Marco Rubio was a perfect example.

The candidates who seem to be irrelevant at this stage are Mike Huckabee, Rand Paul and John Kasich. I would expect them to pull out before long.

Until the next debate.......

kw

The Cop and The Disruptive Student

So, as I'm sipping my initial cup of coffee yesterday morning, I catch a segment on the morning news which shows a scuffle between a South Carolina high school student and a police officer. This particular video appears to show the officer forcibly removing the female student from her desk. As she is pulled out of the chair, the desk topples over and the student is pulled to the front of the classroom where she is ultimately handcuffed. While, on the surface, I can see why the altercation might generate a "WTF reaction". But as we've come to expect, most of the media sources like to tap dance around what led up to the incident.

Sifting through various reports, this is my understanding of what preceded the "heinous" actions of the police officers. The student was playing on her cell phone instead of working on her class assignment. When the teacher instructed her to put the cell phone away, the student became unruly. The girl was then ordered to leave the classroom, which she refused to do. Since she was becoming a serious disruption to the class, the teacher called in a school administrator to intervene. The administrator also attempted to get the student to leave the classroom. But, again, she refused. As a last resort, the school resource officer was called in to take control of the situation. (Isn't it funny how the cell phone videos never seem to capture the prelude?)

So, once the cop shows up, the cell phones impulsively come out. And another negative police story is born.......

I was amazed at how the media has sensationalized the whole thing.  They described the cop as using a "choke hold" on the girl. They also reported that that the girl was "slammed" to the ground. I watched the video several times and didn't see it happen that way. If I hadn't seen the video for myself, I would have thought that the cop had body-slammed the girl WWE-style and then tossed her to the front of the class like an oversize corn-hole bag.

This whole situation could have been avoided if the student would have simply followed instructions. Her first option was to put her cell phone away. Option number two would have been to leave the class room after being instructed by the teacher. Option three would have been to leave the class room after being ordered by the administrator. And even when the officer was called in, the student had yet another option in standing up on her own. But, remaining defiantly consistent, she declined the fourth and final option.

So, for all of the police critics out there. what was the cop supposed to do? Should he have gotten down on his hands and knees and begged the kid to stand up? Perhaps he should have tried to bribe her with a Coke and a bag of Funyuns? Sorry folks, the police are in business to sustain and/or restore order. And, that's exactly what this cop did. He took control of the situation. The student set these wheels in motion, not the cop. But, never missing an opportunity to conjure up a story, the news media has added their predictable twist and jump started the anti-police crusade. They have transformed a disruptive brat into the latest poster child for police "brutality".

And we're not done yet. There are racial implications on this one too. Wow, I could have never saw that one coming! Since the the student is black and the officer is white, the race hustlers are now jockeying for position. There is already a federal civil rights investigation under way. Reverend Al, you'd better wake up or you're gonna be late to the party!

The question I've been hearing over and over again is: What if it was your daughter being "slammed" by that cop? First off, she wasn't slammed. Secondly, this is like asking Ted Bundy's mother how she felt about her son frying in the electric chair. I understand that it's hard to be objective when you (or your child) is directly involved in an extraordinary event. But with that being said, my daughter (if I had one) would not have gotten herself into that situation because I would have taught her better. The kid in this case demonstrated a blatant disregard for the rules and a lack of respect for authority. Maybe the parents need to be "slammed".

In the latest developments, the cop has been fired. And his career in law enforcement will likely be eternally derailed by this incident. Score another victory for disrespectful kids and their sorry ass parents.

Meanwhile, the disruptive student is trying to figure out what she's going to buy with her upcoming settlement check as she anxiously awaits her invitation to the White House.....


kw

The Initial Democratic Debate - A Brief Synopis

Well, out of morbid curiosity, I watched the Democratic debate last night. And even though the candidates patted themselves on the back several times for conducting a more productive debate than the Republicans, I really didn't see a whole lot of meat and potatoes in it.

Not surprising, Hillary Clinton seemed to be the most poised and confident. She has the ability to deliver a load of bullshit with the agility of a used car salesman. For instance, after she described herself as "being consistent over the course of her life", moderator Anderson Cooper brought up Hillary's various flip-flops. She responded by saying that she reserves the right to change her position as she "absorbs new information". I plugged this into my bullshit decoder and it translated to......I can say anything I want and then conveniently jump to the other side when it's politically advantageous.

As the current front-runner, Hillary was the default lightning rod of the debate, attracting fire from the other wannabe Presidents. To her credit, she didn't get rattled and appeared in control throughout the debate. She was obviously the seasoned debater of the group. However, with her mailbag full of scandals, she still comes across as someone that you can not trust. But regardless, millions of people will still vote for her.

Former Vermont Governor Bernie Sanders actually came across as a likable guy. Of the five candidates, Sanders appeared to be the most passionate. His biggest talking points centered around income equality. In a nut shell, his message was that the rich people need to share their wealth. Although I don't agree with most of his views, I respect him for coming out and admitting that he's a true, blue socialist.

Sanders has some great sounding ideas. For instance, he wants to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour. He also wants free college tuition for everyone. But while these things would be certainly be nice, nothing is ever free. Someone has to pay. And, inevitably, it's usually the taxpayer who foots the bill.

Martin Owe'Malley was a little more vocal than I expected but he still came across in his predictable circus-clown fashion.  His responses came across as phony, over-rehearsed rhetoric. It was as if he had "trigger words" which launched him into a series of prepared talking points. Not surprising, none of his responses seemed genuine. One of the more hilarious moments of the debate came when Owe'Malley was grilled on the violence of Baltimore. Amazingly, he tried to paint the City That Bleeds as a place where violent crime is declining. When he made a comment about being able to safely walk down the streets of Baltimore, I practically spit out my drink. There is an average of three people shot everyday in Baltimore. Does that really sound like a place that you'd want to take a midnight stroll?

Of course, gun control was also brought up in the conversation. Yeah, gun control is really working wonders for Baltimore, isn't it? Most liberals are for taking away as many guns as possible. But the one thing that they can't seem to comprehend is that gun control laws are almost worthless because CRIMINALS DO NOT OBEY THE LAWS!!! I'm always amazed at the blatant hypocrisy of the gun-grabbing liberal politicians and/or celebrities who won't go out into public without an armed bodyguard. If they feel that passionate about shelving all of the guns, maybe they should walk the unarmed walk.

Former Virginia Governor Jim Webb seemed to be the most serious of the five candidates. His military background and experience as Secretary of the Navy and Council for the House Committee on Veteran's Affairs gave him perhaps the best insight on foreign affairs. However, he's a little late to the game and he simply doesn't have the name recognition to make a big impact at the polling places. With that being said, I respect Webb and if I were a registered Democrat, he would get my vote.

Former Rhode Island Governor and US Congressman, Lincoln Chafee was like a fish out of water last night. He boasted of being a (former) liberal Republican. What's the point? He's a Democrat now. And one of his biggest self-described assets is that he has no scandals in his background. While this might be commendable, it really doesn't matter. Scandals have become an acceptable waste product of modern day politics. Morality and accountability have taken a back seat to the "what can you do for me now" mentality.

One of the more interesting questions came from a young man via a video feed who asked the candidates, "Do black lives matter? Or do all lives matter?" This, of course, was a racially baited question where there was only one "acceptable" answer. Sanders and Owe'Malley have already had recent run-ins with the Black Lives Matter crowd. So, when they were asked to respond, they both immediately took the racially-appeasing answer of "black lives matter".  I give kudos to Jim Webb for going against grain and saying that all lives matter. Jesse Jackson, who was in the crowd, must have been livid! How dare someone say that all lives matter. Gather up the disenfranchised youth and let's launch into some unrest! Of course, Webb's "insensitive" answer will probably result in him being pressured to go on an apology tour or drop out the race.

I'm not sure how many more debates there will be for the Democrats. But, in reality, the only two legitimate contenders are Clinton and Sanders. The rest of the field. in my opinion, are wasting time and money by remaining in the race. When the dust finally settles, I expect Hillary to get the nomination.

kw

Route 100 - The Follow-Up

I wrote about my adventures on route 100 back in August*. I actually sent a condensed version of the story to the Maryland Gazette. But for some reason, they didn't seem to think it was worthy of printing. I don't get it, I thought it was a pretty good story. I guess they don't appreciate creative writing?

Anyway, I finally got around to getting my battle-scarred windshield repaired. I figured the cold temperatures will be rolling in soon and the cracks will inevitably spread. So, I called my insurance agent and told him about the damage. He initially instructed me to make an appointment with a local Safelight repair facility. As we continued our conversation, he asked where I was driving when the damage occurred. I told him that I was driving along route 100 in Glen Burnie.

Ah-ha!

He then told about how many people have told him the same exact story. They were driving along route 100, minding their own business, when out of nowhere they were assaulted by barrage of road shrapnel. My agent then informed me that the contractor who had done the road work was handling claims for any damages that occurred during the process.

So, I called the contracting company and explained my situation. I expected to get the run-around. But surprisingly, the receptionist was very nice and directed me to the claims person. I spoke to another female employee who took some basic information regrading the damage, make/model of the car, etc. After this, she explained the she was going to forward my info over to the company's insurance company. A couple of days later, I was contacted by an insurance adjuster. We made arrangements for him to stop by to take a look at the damage.

He stopped by this morning and checked things out. It turns out that one of the "dings" is too large to repair, the entire windshield is going to have to be replaced. I was really glad that I didn't go through my own insurance company because I would have been required to shell out a $100-200 deductible for something that occurred due to someone else's negligence.

Apparently, the road work on route 100 has created a very large number of insurance claims for Liberty Mutual. Windshield damage is the most frequent claim But there has also been reports of body damage, busted headlights and blown out tires. I'm seriously wondering if anyone will come forward with a claim of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

I explained to the insurance guy that I had recently bought a new car (for Tina). I had purposely waited for the completion of the road work before I made the purchase. I couldn't see buying a new car only to have it pock-marked in the first week. Thankfully, the road work is now complete and the paint on the new car is still unblemished.

I was informed that the same company that did the work on route 100 is currently doing a project on I-95. I sure hope that they clean up their mess a little better on this job. Can you imagine driving behind a tractor-trailer and having a road-full of gravel hurled toward you at 75 mph? Your windshield wouldn't stand a chance. And neither would you!

kw

* http://kensmouthpiece.blogspot.com/2015/08/route-100-commuters-battleground.html

Brooks Robinson - Giving It All Away

As a young boy, I was fortunate enough to watch Brooks Robinson play for my hometown Baltimore Orioles. Watching his magician-like plays on defense and his clutch hitting gave a young baseball fan all the joy he could ever want.

I had the pleasure of meeting my baseball idol several times back in the day. I quickly found out the his stellar play on the field wasn't his only attribute. He was also one of the nicest people that I had ever met. With his comforting southern drawl, Brooks looked me in the eyes and spoke to me as if we were two longtime friends. And after all of these years, Brooks Robinson still remains my favorite player ever.

Yesterday, I heard that Brooks was auctioning off all of his memorabilia from his private collection. This included his 16 Gold Gloves, his two World Series rings and his 1964 American League MVP trophy.

I was saddened when I first heard this because I assumed that Brooks, like so many other retired athletes, had fallen on hard times. I figured he was selling off his beloved mementos to help pay the bills. However, I was relieved to learn that this wasn't the case at all....

Brooks, along with his wife Connie, had decided to auction off the items in order to help other people. Every penny generated by the sale of the 240 items will go to the Constance and Brooks Foundation where the proceeds will be distributed to various charities. My sadness quickly gave way to goosebumps as my boyhood idol rose yet another notch on the class scale.

Brooks explained that he has been very blessed over the years. And through his life, he has always tried to help others. And, in true fashion, Brooks will now part with some of his most beloved material items in hopes that they will ultimately produce happiness for someone else. Brooks has always tried to teach his children to give back. And, leading by example, that's exactly what Brooks has done in this case.

The respect and admiration that I have for this man is tremendous. His on-field performance was one thing. But the way in which Brooks has conducted himself off the field continues to be inspiring, not only to baseball fans, but for people in general. Sports hero, in my opinion, is an overused and often undeserved term. But in Brooks' case, I think it fits perfectly. Summing it up, Brooks Robinson makes you want to be a better person.

kw


http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bs-sp-brooks-robinson-auction-charity-20151007-story.html

Avoiding The Rough Ride

Earlier today, I was reading about Baltimore's latest lottery winner. In this case, the Board of Estimates awarded a 28-year-old woman $95,000 for a "rough ride" courtesy of the BCPD. Of course, this settlement comes not long after the $6.4 settlement that was awarded to Freddie's Gray's family. In an effort to strike while the iron is hot, can we expect to see more "rough-riders" coming out of the woodwork in the upcoming months? Keep in mind, this latest payout stems from a 2012 incident.

So, let's try to answer a few questions. First off, do these rough rides really exist? I have to believe that they do. But my follow up question is....what leads up to a rough ride? After all, if you punch a cop or spit in his face, do you really think that it's going to be a smooth ride to Central Booking? Human nature would dictate no....

Hey look, I'm not advocating police brutality. But certain actions can bring a predictable reaction. And sometimes, the reaction isn't so pleasant.

Let's look at it another way. When I occasionally find myself passing through the seedier parts of Baltimore, I sometimes see some rather rude and unpleasant people. Just recently, I saw a guy walking down the middle of Lexington Street with his d*ck in his hand pissing over anything within watering distance*. My first thought was to yell, "Hey asshole, do you think you're f*cking cat? Put your d*ck away before I get out of my car and crack you in the nuts with my Day-runner!"

However, possessing just enough common sense, I chose not to say anything. Because, I knew that if I did, there was a good chance that I'd receive a beat-down (or worse!) by the nearby disenfranchised youth who had already been shooting me dirty looks. It didn't matter who happened to be right or wrong. What did matter is that I assessed the situation and determined that no positive outcome was going to come from me running my mouth. I was vastly outnumbered and unarmed. Plus it was lunchtime and I was in a hurry to get to Chick-fil-A.

This same assessment should be used in these police confrontations. If you are compliant or perhaps even polite to the police officer, the odds of a wooden shampoo or rough ride go way down. So, if you're ever in a situation like this, you have to ask yourself if it's worth the consequences. But on second thought, with all of these large settlements coming down the pipe, maybe it is.......

kw

* http://kensmouthpiece.blogspot.com/2015/08/its-raining-on-eutaw-street.html

The O's - Closing Down The 2015 Season

Well, the Orioles closed the door on the 2015 season today. I can't help but feeling a bit disappointed that they won't be playing in the post-season. But I'm grateful for the excitement that they provided for the past six months. They finished the season by winning five in a row and sweeping the Yankees. They ended up with an even .500 (81-81) record for the season.

After last year's successful run, I had high expectations of this year's team. Of course, I'm a bit biased. In reality, the O's brass did nothing to really improve the team in the off season last year. And not resigning Nelson Cruz turned out to be a big mistake, in my opinion. I truly believe that if we had his bat in the line-up this year, we make the playoffs.

With several key players up for free agency this year, it will be very interesting to see who will be in this line-up in April. The top priority will be to resign Chris Davis. Letting the Major League leading home-run hitter get away two years in a row will be a PR nightmare for the O's. Since the Orioles have lived and died by the home-run over recent years, Peter Angelos must find a way to keep Davis's bat in the lineup for the next few years.

Some of the other key free agents include Matt Weiters, Darren O'Day, Geraldo Parra and Wei-Yin Chen. There's no way that I see all of these guys coming back next year. There's been a lot of talk about who the O's should focus on. Most people feel that Matt Weiters in the most expendable of the group. While Weiters is a great catcher and has plenty of pop in his bat, Caleb Joseph has proven to be a worthy replacement in Weiters' extended absences. And back-up catcher, Steve Clevenger, has shown a lot of promise in the second half of this season. I personally think Weiters will be somewhere else next year.

Chen is probably going to command some pretty decent money. Although his record wasn't exactly Cy Young caliber (11-8), he finished with a respectable 3.34 ERA. Chen is also a left hander which the O's desperately need. Unless he breaks the bank, I expect the O's to do what they can to resign him.

O'Day is another guy that you hate to let get away. He's an exceptional set-up guy who can shut down the opposition in the late innings.

Parra was a great late season addition to the team. Solid offensively and defensively, Parra also fits in perfectly with the O's clubhouse chemistry. I would love to see him back here next year.

So, my priority order for top to bottom would be Davis, O'Day, Chen, Parra and Weiters. As much as I would love to see all of these guys here next year, I realize that baseball is a business and it's virtually impossible to sign everyone.

Aside from all this, it will be interesting to see if the O's will go after any other free agents on the market. Will they go after a number one starter? Will they try to upgrade their base speed?

When the deals are finally sealed, I'm sure there will be plenty of scrutiny to go around. And that's a good thing. That means that that you have a fan base who cares.

One final note.....Last night, Buck Showalter's mother passed away. With a heavy heart, he was in the dugout this afternoon overseeing his team for their final game of the season. He's been in the game a long time. He knows that some of these players won't be here next year. So, after the game, to show his appreciation, Buck (and his coaching staff) hugged every player as they came off the field. This guy is a total class act. He has been quoted as saying, "I like our guys." Well, there's no doubt that the feeling is mutual from his players as well as the city of Baltimore.

Looking forward to next season already!

kw

Hurricane Names 2015

Several years ago, I wrote a piece about hurricane names*. With Hurricane Joaquin planning a trip up the East Coast this weekend, I though that it might be a good time to write an updated piece.

First off, I'm scratching my head trying to figure out why Joaquin is pronounced Wah-keen. I looked look and hard but I can find either an "h" nor a "k" in the name. I guess it's kinda the same way Jesus is pronounced Hey-soose. Oh well, let's move on...

Since we happen to be in the political season, I named a few after some of our more colorful politicians. In any event, I give you my list of hurricane names (and descriptions) for the upcoming season:

Hurricane Donald - This abrasive storm rolls across the country and upsets every apple cart along the way. Afterward, it ostentatiously beats it's chest and says, "That's right, I'm bad. Watch the hair!"

Hurricane Bernie - This one targets the affluent neighborhoods along the coast, sucking piles of money up through the mansion chimneys. From there it travels to the hood where it redistributes the cash in the form of a paper rain storm.

Hurricane Hillary - Not to be confused with Hurricane Monica, this one blows into town with reckless persistence. And afterwards, when she's accused of any damages, Hurricane Hillary simply denies that she had anything to do with it.

Hurricane Martin - After wreaking havoc on Maryland, this one quickly fizzles out before inflicting further damage to the rest of the country.

Hurricane Stephanie - Given plenty of room to destroy, the computers models all have this storm on a direct path to the CVS and nearby liquor stores in the Baltimore area.

Hurricane Hogan - Gathering strength in Annapolis, this storm rolls into Baltimore and picks up the pieces left behind by Hurricane Stephanie.

Ok, enough of the political stuff. Here are few lighter ones.......

Hurricane Phil - This storm methodically moves it's way up the coast as it tries to make the other hurricanes feel guilty about the damage that they've done.

Hurricane Maury - Performs DNA tests for the other hurricanes to determine the father of illegitimate squalls.

Hurricane Caitlyn - Formally a himicane, this storm has the unique ability to convert to a tornado.

Hurricane Bruno - This rhythmic hurricane heads straight uptown and funks it up.

Hurricane Taylor - This one swiftly moves up the East Coast before it's abruptly interrupted by a western hot air mass known as Tropical Storm Kayne.

Hurricane Bieber - More of an annoyance than a hurricane, this whiny little storm is similar to having a fly in your bedroom in the middle of the night.

Hurricane Cosby - Forcibly makes it's way inland and drops a hailstorm of roofies into the drinks of unsuspecting female hurricanes.

Hurricane Housewives - A unique configuration, this group of hurricanes collides and then sits around the living room and calls each other bitches.

All right, I think that's enough names to get us through the season. Everyone, try to stay dry this weekend and let's hope Wah-keen loses steam soon!

kw

* http://kensmouthpiece.blogspot.com/2010/09/whats-in-hurricane-name_03.html

City On Fire - Standing Down

Well, the drama continues to unfold in the City That Bleeds. Earlier today, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake announced that she would not seek reelection. This comes just two days after she and other members of the Board of Estimates agreed to hand over $6.4 million to the family of Freddie Gray.

In the midst of an already eventful week, this came as a bit of surprise. Rawlings-Blake would have been campaigning against several other challengers in the 2016 election, most notably, former infamous Baltimore Mayor, Sheila Dixon. It was thought that Dixon would have given Blake a tough run regardless. But now with Blake stepping out, as hard as it might be to do so, you have to believe that Dixon will be Baltimore's next Mayor.

So, the big question is why did Blake decide to bail out of the campaign. As expected, she gave the predictable answers at the press conference.....Gotta spend more time with the family, the campaign will be distracting, her effort needs to be focused on leading the city, blah, blah, blah. While these things sure sound good, I think there might be some other reasons why she's dropping out of the race.

No doubt, her opponents were going to blast Rawlings-Blake for her handling of the April riots (or "unrest" as she likes to call it). During that period she looked totally overwhelmed and her leadership abilities were heavily criticized. The Mayor also appeared very uncomfortable when she was getting grilled by reporters during and after the riots. So, I really don't think that she was looking forward to reliving that ordeal during a heated Mayoral campaign.

And while still mayor for another 15 months, Rawlings-Blake will likely have to face another round of "unrest" with the upcoming trials of the six police officers. If any or all of the cops are found not guilty, all hell will break loose in and around the city. And when this happens, the Mayor will be in a no-win situation. If she plays hard ball with the rioters (highly unlikely), she will be criticized for for not being "down with the struggle". And if she takes the "stand down and give 'em room to destroy" approach again, she will be blamed for the massive damage that the city will inevitably absorb.

One has to wonder what would have happened if Rawlings-Blake would have never given the thugs "room to destroy". Perhaps if the cops were allowed to defend themselves and arrest the "kids" who were assaulting them, order could have been somewhat preserved. But instead, the chaos escalated and Baltimore was telecast around the world as a lawless city with no leadership.

When the dust settles after the next round of riots, it could take years if not decades, to repair the damages. So, not only would Rawlings-Blake be heavily criticized in the aftermath, she would also have the unfathomable task of fixing things. When you put things in that perspective, it's not so hard to understand why she decided to bail out. Think of it as jumping off of the Titanic and into a lifeboat...

kw

City On Fire - The Hits Keep Coming

The six Baltimore City cops who were arrested for the death of Freddie Gray were dealt yet another blow this morning when it was announced that they would stand trial right here in Baltimore. This of course, comes just a couple of days after Gray's family was awarded a $6.4 million settlement from the city.

I'm not sure how it's going to be possible to find an impartial jury in Baltimore for this trial. I mean, who hasn't heard about this case? And more concerning, who hasn't formed an opinion already?

The protesting, albeit on a relatively small scale, has already started during the pre-trial motions. I would expect the momentum to pick up as we getting closer to the actual trial date in October. When that time comes, expect to see spontaneous disruptions in the downtown area, especially around the courthouse. And with all of the commotion going on outside, do you really think that the jury will simply be able to ignore it?

Another negative effect of having the trial in Baltimore is the imminent threat of violence if something doesn't go the protesters' way. If word comes out that one of the cops is likely to be acquitted, the protesters will threaten to burn the city down. I don't see a jury overlooking that scenario. Even after all of these years, the aftermath of the Rodney King case still lingers. And with all of the gas that the Mayor and company have thrown on the Freddie Gray case, Baltimore City is a potential powder-keg. That will inevitably be in the back of the jurors minds as they decide on the fate of the individual cops.

And what about the potential of juror intimidation? I guess there's a possibility that the jurors will be sequestered, but what if they aren't? I would expect the identities of the jurors to be kept secret but happens if this stuff gets leaked out?

I keep hear the chants of "No Justice, No Peace" but the last time I checked, the protesters have pretty gotten everything they wanted. Six cops have been arrested and are about to go on trial, the Gray's have been a awarded with the Mega-Millions and the trial will take place in Baltimore. The "system" is currently working exactly as you wanted. So, will you please shut the f*ck up and let the process take it's due course?

kw

The Guy Hovering Over My Shoulder

So, the other night, I'm sitting at a local watering hole playing trivia with my buddy, Kevin. I see this guy sitting across the bar who looks a lot like Billy Bob Thorton's character in "Slingblade". He's sitting there alone with both of hands cupped firmly around his large beer glass. To say that he was a bit peculiar looking would be putting it mildly. But at least he was a safe distance away. For now.....

About midway through the game, Slingblade heads to the men's room. When he returns, instead of sitting in his original bar seat, he pulls up the one directly to the left of me. I found this to be odd since the whole left side of the bar was vacant. This is like a guy walking into a men's room at the airport and there's 20 vacant urinals between you and the wall and the guy cozies up to the one right next to you. It's just weird, that all I'm saying.....

Anyway, Slingblade sits there with this goofy smile on his face. I could just sense that he was going to say something at any second. The trivia DJ asks the the next question and I scribble something on my note pad. As I start to write, I see that the guy is trying to peek over my shoulder. I instinctively try to cover my answer like I used to do in 3rd grade. From my peripheral vision, I can still see Slingblade hovering over my left shoulder.

Before long, inevitability reared it's ugly head and Slingblade says, "So, what'd cha put for that last answer?"

Keep in mind that we're in the middle of bar trivia game where you're prohibited from shouting out the answers. So, I knew if I gave the guy the real answer (which was Taylor Swift), he would blurt it out for the whole bar to hear. So, I figured I would make something up and try to use this guy to our competitive advantage. 

"We put Joan Jett for that last answer, bud", I quietly told him.

Sure enough, he blurts outs, "Joan Jett, huh? I like her!"

Then he proceeds to inform us that Janis Joplin has the same initials as Joan Jett. Actually, I was quite impressed that this guy had the mental capacity to figure this out. Could this guy possibly be Pasadena's version of the Rain Man?

Well, my admiration was short-lived as Slingblade followed up with, "I really like Janis Joplin. She's a good singer."

He was talking about Janis in the present tense, so my friend (Dave) who was sitting two bar stools to my right, leans over and says, "You know Janis Joplin is dead, right?"

A look of confusion takes over Slingblade's face and he asks, "Really? When did this happen?"

Kevin, Dave & I instantly looked at one another as the theme from The Twilight Zone played through our collective minds.

Realizing that this guy is probably a little behind in current events, I said, "She died a couple of years ago. Sorry to have to break the bad news to you, bud."

The guy seemed to be genuinely shocked. I felt the additional urge to inform him about Elvis, but I didn't want to overload him with grief. After a few moments of silence, he jumps right back into our trivia game and says, "So, what are you guys putting for this answer?"

I made some kind of wisecrack which caused Slingblade to chuckle. As a result, he revealed a set of teeth that looked like something you might see in the mouth of an alligator. I impulsively jumped back. I nearly blurted out, "Whoa, dude!" His teeth had obviously been on the losing end of an ass-kicking contest with tooth decay. Some were pointed and some were jagged but they were all a mess. Kevin later pointed out that he had "meth mouth". Nice to know...

Anyway, the trivial banter continued for ten or fifteen more minutes. Kevin, getting a little irritated, asked me why I kept engaging the guy . I explained to him that you have to be careful with these type of people. Even though the guy was hovering and was bit irritating, I really didn't want to piss him off. The last thing I needed was for Slingblade to go ape-shit and bury a lawnmower blade in the back of my head.

The DJ asks a football related question. While I'm trying to brainstorm with Kevin and Dave, my new friend is trying to loudly chime in with his incoherent answers. And then, he throws me curve-ball and asks if I ever watch Lingerie Football.

I respond, "Lingerie football? No, can't say that I have. But I'll bet the women are hot."

Kevin shoots me the "WTF look", letting me know that I really need to stop talking to this guy. Hey, I didn't ask this guy to sit next to me. How is this my fault?

Meanwhile, the guy's beer mug runs empty. But he continues to cradle it between both hands like he's making a clay pot. Normally, I would offer to buy a person a fresh beer, But this guy was really starting to make me nervous and I didn't want to give him any reason to stay any longer. As luck would have it, he just got up and walked out. No goodbye, nice to meet you, have a good night, etc. He just disappeared out into the night as quickly as he dropped in beside me. I'm not sure if I'll ever see him again. But there's no doubt that someone like him will cross my path before long....

kw

City On Fire - The Gray Pay Day

As I'm driving along 695 earlier today, I hear the radio DJ say that Baltimore City reached a proposed 6.4 million dollar settlement with the family of Freddie Gray. I instantly shook my head and erroneously attempted to rewind the radio station. I thought that I misheard what had just came out of my car's speakers.

The trial of the six cops has barely started yet and we're already throwing millions of dollars at the Gray family? Of course, the mayor justifies the settlement by saying that it's in "the best interest of the city". She also says that the settlement doesn't represent an admission of guilt by any of the parties potentially linked to Gray's death. I'm glad that she doesn't think so. But those who don't have their heads completely up their ass might not see it the same way.

This is just another middle finger to the taxpayers of Baltimore who increasingly find themselves paying more and getting less. That $6.4 million will really be missed when it comes to rebuilding the city after the next round of riots. But, of course, the taxpayers will likely get gang-banged by the City Council when that bill comes due as well.

Perhaps, the city should have waited to see if the cops were actually at fault before they handed over the Mega-Millions to the Grays. And who decides who gets what in these situations. When cops are killed in the line of duty (like the seven last week!), do the cities immediately hand over a multi-million dollar check to the family? Somehow, I doubt it. In mentally unstable cities like Baltimore, the value of a drug slinger's life is more than a cop's. That's the message that was sent today.

It shouldn't come as much of a surprise that the FOP is outraged over the settlement offer. And I certainly can't blame them. The "leadership" of Baltimore, from Mayor on down, continues to screw over the BCPD. If they don't think that this is going to have a detrimental effect on the upcoming trial, they're even more clueless than I thought.

kw

Route 100 - A Commuter's Battleground

Last week, I approached the ramp to route 100 as I headed toward Pasadena. It was a beautiful day with low humidity so I casually rolled down my driver's side window to get some fresh air. As I gradually picked up speed in the right lane, I saw what appeared to be a smoky haze about a quarter mile in front of me. It didn't take long to realize that it was actually road dust being kicked up by the traffic ahead.

I had just ran my car through the car-wash and it was still wet in some places. Traveling through the dust cloud quickly turned my car's exterior from a shiny luster to a depressing gray film. Before long, it looked like I had just taken 2nd Place in a four-wheeling competition. But knowing that this was just one of the occasional drawbacks of commuting, I let it go.

But what came next was not so easy to ignore....

As luck would have it, there was a large pick-up truck directly in  front of me. The double-tires of the truck began to kick up gravel and hurl it violently at the traffic behind. As the projectiles ricocheted off of my hood and windshield, I looked for an opportunity to switch lanes. But there was nowhere to go. I caught a quick glimpse of the driver beside me, He had a firm two-handed grip on the steering wheel as his head bobbed to the left and right. The poor guy looked like Rocky Balboa ducking a punch from Mister T. And although I did feel a bit of sympathy for him, I had my own issues to deal with.

With the road being torn up, it was like driving on an extended rumble strip. So, I decided to turn up the radio to drown out some of the noise. "Gimme Shelter" by the Rolling Stones happened to be playing. Really? The Stones? Right now? Come on....

As the truck in front of us accelerated, the frequency of road shrapnel increased. Pieces of route 100 rained down on us like a summer hail storm. Rocks were coming from all directions. My poor Honda was taking on more abuse than a Baltimore City police cruiser!

Out of nowhere, my elbow, which had been hanging vulnerably outside the window, was met by an oncoming rock. Grimacing, I took the pain like a man. I slowly retracted my stinging arm and rolled up the window. Although I wasn't out of danger quite yet, I did feel a little safer.

Thankfully, the scarred battlefield soon gave way to a freshly paved surface. I eventually exited the expressway and pulled into the safety of a parking lot where I was able to survey the damage. Miraculously, I came out of the onslaught relatively unscathed. My battle wounds were limited to a couple of small nicks in the windshield and a small red welt on my left elbow. I had survived. But how many commuters wouldn't be so lucky?

kw

The Roanoke Shootings - Disregarded Racism

By now, everyone has probably heard about the disgruntled asshole (Vester Flanagan) who murdered the Roanoke news reporter and cameraman on live TV. Initially, as expected, the story was widely covered by almost every media outlet in the country. But as details emerged about the shooting possibly being racially motivated, the media slowly backed away from their coverage.

Hmmm....

So, let me see if I've got this right. If a racist white guy shoots up a black church, we're told that it's due to "systematic racism" and then there's an immediate push to ban the Confederate Flag and any future showing of The Dukes of Hazard. And if a some white cops are suspected in the death a black drug dealer, there's an instant gathering of "protesters" who are given "room to destroy" the city.. But when a racist black man guns down two white news reporters on live TV, there's no outrage over the demographics.

So, what got Flanagan so outraged that he felt the need to gun down 24-year old, Alison Parker and her 27-year-old cameraman? Apparently, the young reporter commonly used the words "swinging" and "field". I understand that these are commonly used words by news reporters as they might "swing by a location" or "go out to the field". But somehow, Flanagan found these terms to be racist. So, he went to his superiors to report it. In the end, common sense prevailed and it was brushed off as nonsense. This didn't sit well with Flanagan and his rage continued to brew until the time of the shootings.

From what I've read, Flanagan liked to accuse people of racism whenever things didn't go his way and he had a history of filing discrimination complaints. This moron even called 7-11 racist because they had watermelon flavored Slurpees.*

In a manifesto that he faxed to ABC News shortly after the shooting, Flanagan mentioned that the recent Charleston church shooting was one of the factors that sent him over the top. So, it kinda sounds like this guy wasn't feeling a whole lot of love for white folks.

So, as we sift through all of the bullshit, it looks like Flanagan's violent outburst was ultimately carried out in retaliation for the June 17 racist attack in Charleston. So, in effect, wouldn't that make Flanagan's targeting of two innocent white people just as racist? Apparently, there's a lot of people who don't see it that way. Or they're just too afraid to talk about it.

Almost everyone, black and white, was outraged and sickened by Dylan Roof's actions in the Charleston church murders. Most people wold agree that he is a racist piece of sh*t. But when it comes to Vester Flanagan, his racial influences are largely ignored. Even President Obama, who usually seizes the opportunity to fan the flames in these situations, blamed guns this time around. I guess blaming the guy who actually pulled the trigger would be too insensitive? By the way, has the term "hate crime" even been mentioned during the course of this event?

kw

* http://nypost.com/2015/08/28/reporters-everyday-comments-deemed-racist-by-on-air-killer/